Hackathons are like gyms.

I’m a pretty small guy, so I never really go to the gym. But, if I never go to the gym, I’m never going to get big. Hackathons are like gyms. If you already know how to type, how to use google, and maybe even have some experience using HTML, then you got guns — they are just small.

I constantly get asked about how I got started coding. When I respond, “at a hackathon,” people immediately fire back asking how I went to a hackathon without knowing how to code.

There’s a very common misconception that hackathons are only for hackers. Yes, hackathons are for hackers, but they are also for you! Where else are you going to get big!? You can work out at home, but the gym has the right environment, mentorship, and equipment to really get you started. At a hackathon, you are in the perfect environment to pick up something new really quickly — there’s tons of food, energy, and people with experience ready and willing to help get you off the ground. “Learning” to code is important, but at some point you really just have to get your hands dirty and build something.